Early Edition with Kate Hawkesby

This story should shock everybody, but it won't. Sadly.  The headline? Former Covid response lead Alister Thorby stole $1.8 million from DHBs. From us, taxpayers.  This guy was 25 and yet somehow in charge of the DHBs’ response to the Covid pandemic in the Lower North Island. He stole almost $2m over five months. He bought cars, holidays, a house.  He was an MIQ boss. He submitted invoices for work that never happened. One invoice was for $300k. Two of the companies he invoiced for didn't even exist.  Now, this is bad for two reasons: 1. How on earth does some 25-year-old who's been in the job just five months, bill $1.8m and get those invoices paid? That's criminal. Who signed off on the cheques? Who was in charge? It's outrageous.  2. The timing. The Judge in this case points out the money went out the door at a time when the Government was scrambling to deal with Covid. Except this guy was employed October 2021 to June 2022.  We were letting DJs through the boarder for Rhythm